Maxwell Motorbikes EP0 Ultralightweight Electric Bicycle
The look and feel of a conventional bike, with a powerful boost
Weighing in at under 27 pounds, the new EP0 Ultralightweight Electric Bicycle (up on Kickstarter now) from Maxwell Motorbikes aims to aid in daily commutes and adventurous bike excursions. Not only is it one of the lightest electric bikes on the market, it also purports to deliver a steady 20mph speed across an entire trip—regardless of terrain. To sweeten the deal, it doesn’t look like many e-bikes on the market, instead it more closely resembles the much-loved lines and curves of a traditional bicycle. There are consistent innovations in the electric bike world, especially as interest continues to blossom; yet there’s something distinct about the value being offered in this whole package.
The EP0 has the ability to travel up to 15 miles on one battery charge, and the power boost can be switched off at any time allowing for ordinary bike use. All of this is thanks to a 250Wh battery pack, which charges through an ordinary wall outlet in 45 minutes. This is placed in the main triangle, which allows for even weight distribution across the bike, lending a sense of balance and control. Accompanying the pack is a smooth field oriented controller, which keeps the motor humming near silently, and a pedal assist sensor that reads the ground below. Efficiency is key.
Maxwell Motorbike’s Founder and Product Architect Troy Rank’s own personal experience lead to these developments. “I did this cross country e-bike trip last summer,” he explains to CH, “where I got a Guinness World Record [for a 4,400 mile solo journey e-bike journey]. I used a Longtail cargo bike. I thought that the most you could get most of the utility and range—on any given day, with a large expensive bike—was really little. That’s basically what started the process of thinking about what the most minimalistic e-bike would look like—all while getting the maximum use, while making it aesthetically pleasing.” That’s what Rank and his team are proposing with the EP0 and it’s something worth getting off the ground.
You can score the single-speed Maxwell EP0 Ultralightweight Electric Bicycle for a $1,300 Kickstarter contribution, or with a two-speed rear hub for a $2,500 contribution.
Images courtesy of Maxwell Motorbikes
